Air Force Academy

Feb. 10, 2009

The Air Force wrestling team wraps up its home slate this week, Feb. 12, as it hosts Northern Colorado in a conference dual meet. The match is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. in Clune Arena.

Falcons on the Web...
Fans at home will be able to follow all of the action in Clune Arena this year, as each of Air Force's home wrestling contests will be video streamed live. Live stats of each of the Falcons' home duals will also be available. To tune in, just click on the links that are featured on the events schedule on goairforcefalcons.com.

Last Time Out...
The Falcons tied for fourth place at last week's All-Academy Championships, led by senior Stephen Crozier (165) and sophomore Brett Boyce (184), who each finished second in their respective weight classes. Sophomore Derek Gillespie added a third-place showing at 133 pounds, while Tyler Untrauer (141) and James Ciccone (197) each placed fourth.

Meanwhile, a second group of Air Force wrestlers competed at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open, hosted by Colorado School of Mines. Freshman Karl Oeser was the top performer for the Falcons, going 4-0 to take first place at 184 pounds. Junior Akira Nervik was the runner-up at 184, while Samuel Sheppard (133) also posted a second-place finish. Other placewinners for the Falcons were Michael Erickson (165), Josh Larson (197) and Wesley Stowe (174), who finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Scouting the Falcons...
Air Force enters this week's match with a 4-9 overall record and 1-2 mark in the Western Wrestling Conference. Leading Air Force in total victories this season is senior captain Stephen Crozier who has 20 wins on the year, while sophomore Andrew Zwirlein ranks second on the team with 15 victories.

Scouting the Bears...
Northern Colorado comes into this week's match with a 4-10-1 overall mark and 2-2 record in the WWC. The Bears also competed at the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Open last weekend, winning four individual titles.

Leading the Bears in total wins this season are Tony Mustari (125) and Mitchell Polkowske (149), who each hold a 24-6 record on the year.

Senior Night...
Thursday night will mark the final home appearance for three Air Force wrestlers--team captain Stephen Crozier, as well as classmates Juancarlos Pino and Sterling Tribble.

Quick Hits...
• Air Force has dropped three of its last four match-ups with Northern Colorado; the Falcons posted a 25-20 win over the Bears in 2007
• The Falcons have won on Senior Night in each of the past two seasons; Air Force defeated Northern Colorado in 2007, while knocking off Wyoming last year

Up Next...
The Falcons wrap up the regular season next weekend with a pair of conference dual meets. First, Air Force travels to Laramie, Wyo., on Feb. 19 to take on Wyoming. The Falcons then head to Orem, Utah, to face Utah Valley on Feb. 20.

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